PERSONAL LOCATOR BEACON
A 406 MHz Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) could be the only
link between yourself and civilization in a life-threatening emergency.
Modern space technology allows you to access this link.
Thanks to the combined efforts of Canada, France, Russia and the United
States, an international satelline system (Cospas-Sarsat)
helps locate people in distress in isolated areas around the globe. Four
Cospas-Sarsat satellites continuously orbit the earth, ready to receive
distress signals from emergency radio beacons from aircraft, marine vessels
and from individuals on land, and relay them to ground stations which,
in turn, process the signal to determine the location of the beacon. The
location data and any other pertinent data available are then relayed
to search and rescue authorities.
 WHAT
IS A PERSONAL LOCATOR BEACON?
A 406 MHz PLB is a battery-powered emergency transmitter which, when
activated, sends a coded signal. A signal received by the Cospas-Sarsat
Satellite System from a PLB is considered to be an indication of serious
distress and search and rescue authorities in Canada will react to the
alert in the appropriate manner.
HOW YOUR PLB WORKS
Once activated, a 406 MHz PLB sends a digitally encoded signal indicating
an emergency exists.An orbitting Cospas-Sarsat satellite receives the
distress signal as it orbits the earth and relays pertinent data to a
ground receiving station, where the location of the distress beacon is
computed. The location information is relayed to the Mission Control Centre
(MCC) at Canadian Forces Bases Trenton, Ontario.The MCC conveys this information
to the search and rescue point of contact in the province or territory
where the PLB has been activated.The MCC also provides search and rescue
authorities with any additional information available in the PLB Registry
which may assist in the successful resolution of the emergency.
REGISTERING YOUR PLB - HELPING OTHERS HELP YOU
Every 406 MHz PLB authorized for use in Canada contains a unique coded
signal.This feature, combined with procedures for storing personal data
about beacon owners in a central registry, can provide important information
to search and rescue authorities.
Your PLB must be registered with the Canadian Personal Emergency Beacon
Registry
A PLB registration form is provided with your beacon; it must be registered.To
register your PLB, complete this registration form and send it to the
Canadian Personal Emergency Beacon Registry.
REGISTRATION FORM
This information is used only for search and rescue purposes and will
greatly assist in any beacon alarm incident. The responsibility of ensuring
the accuracy of the data in the registry rests with the beacon owner.
Notify the registry immediately if any of the information provided on
the PLB registration form changes.
Since your life may depend on this information, it is in your best interest
to ensure your beacon is registered and all information in the registry
is accurate.
WHEN TO USE YOUR PLB
Your PLB must only be activated in a distress sistuation and only in
remote areas where conventional communication facilities are not available.
A distress situation involves an incident concerning grave danger to the
safety of human life.
PLB AND CANADIAN REGULATIONS
Although your PLB does not require licensing, it is a radio transmitter
that operates on a frequency band from 406.0 to 406.1 MHz and is regulated
under the General Radio Regulations Part II. The consequences of a false
distress signal are serious. Regulations provide for fines up to twenty-five
hundred dollars, and costs or imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both,
for misuse.
The PLB owner is responsible for adhering to the Regulations set forth
in the General Radio Regulations. 
The PLB may save your life:
- Know how it works; read all the instructions.
- Avoid false alarms.
- Ensure it is in good working order.
- Use it wisely.
- Ensure it is registered and that all information is up-to-date.
For more information, contact: 
National Search and Rescue Secretariat
275 Slater Street, 4th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0K2
1-800-SAR-9414 or by
e-mail
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